Thanks heaps Jim, and others that contacted me off list. Now that makes sense. If a hotel has free wireless then of course it would be a cheap way to use it to make calls. I forgot that I did this using my laptop in the USA the ACCE2008 study tour, never thought that I could of course also do it on a smart phone.<br>
<br>Somebody also mentioned that I can buy a pre-paid SIM so I could use a smart phone overseas for data only access (buying a second, thow-away cheap phone for emergency use) .. and somebody mentioned using a toe-nail clipper to convert a SIM into a micro-SIM. <br>
<br>The mind boggles.<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 4:48 PM, Jim Maunder <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:techo@ruyton.vic.edu.au">techo@ruyton.vic.edu.au</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Just remembered - another trick is to put Skype on your smartphone, pay the small amount so you can call ordinary phones via Skype, then use the phone/Skype when you find a wifi hotspot. <br>
<br>rgds<br>Jim (who found that out after he got back home)<div class="im"><br><br><br><br><div style="clear: both;">-----------------------------------------------------------<br>We have to use this Disclaimer<br> <br>Views, opinions, etc. expressed reflect those of the author and not<br>
Ruyton Girls' School <br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br> <br>Jim Maunder<br>retired, ex Laptop Technician<br>Ruyton Girls School<br>Melbourne, Australia<br>ph 9290 9374</div><br></div>
>>> "Jim Maunder" <<a href="mailto:techo@ruyton.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">techo@ruyton.vic.edu.au</a>> 01/21/11 4:33 PM >>><div>
<div></div><div class="h5"><br>For my post retirement trip to USA last year I organised global roaming<br>for my smart-ish phone (Nokia N97mini on Telstra) and took a netbook. I<br>only used SMS while away (to contact others we were travelling with and<br>
keep rellies at home in the loop) and turned off phone network access<br>most of the time. Incoming calls would have cost $5 flagfall, but I was<br>able to avoid them. The few 'missed phonecall' messages did not seem to<br>
cost anything.<br><br><br>Most hotels had wifi (some free, some not) so the netbook was used to<br>make a few last minute bookings and read email etc.<br><br><br>The phone charge for the month was $15 for SMSs @75c a message. <br>
<br><br>A good place to research travel things including travel technology is<br>the LonelyPlanet forum - aka the Thorntree <br><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa" target="_blank">http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa</a><br>
<br><br>rgds<br>Jim<br><br><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>We have to use this Disclaimer<br> <br>Views, opinions, etc. expressed reflect those of the author and not<br>Ruyton Girls' School <br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br> <br>Jim Maunder<br>retired, ex Laptop Technician<br>Ruyton Girls School<br>Melbourne, Australia<br>ph 9290 9374<br>>>> Roland Gesthuizen 01/15/11 8:25 PM >>><br>
Thanks Clarky and Kevork, you are both right .. I might leave wireless<br>to<br>the iPad and laptop for when we need it and put the smart phone off the<br>radar. Am now considering looking into buying cheap prepaid sims and or<br>
phones for both USA and Europe using this whilst we are there. From<br>memory<br>we can pick these up for about $30.<br><br>I am curious about mobile access point plans for cheap internet across<br>the<br>states and later across Europe. My thought was along the lines of the<br>
USB<br>powered, prepaid mobile broadband dongles (one to two month contracts).<br>I<br>was able to get some good hotel deals by surfing online whilst on the<br>road<br>and doing my homework, pain was driving about until I could find a free<br>
wireless access point. I wonder if there is a USA equivalent or the like<br>for<br>the following dongles.<br><br><a href="http://www.broadbandexpert.com.au/mobile-broadband/prepaid-mobile-broadband/" target="_blank">http://www.broadbandexpert.com.au/mobile-broadband/prepaid-mobile-broadband/</a><br>
<br>Done this before?<br><br>Regards Roland<br><br>On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 7:17 PM, Kevork Krozian wrote:<br><br>> Hi Roland,<br>><br>><br>><br>> Yes be careful of roaming . Charging for roaming has become obscene.<br>
><br>> In Sep 2009 I travelled to the Middle East and decided to use Telstra<br>> roaming.<br>><br>> In Palestine I was charged USD60 for a 30 sec call with one carrier<br>whereas<br>> an alternative carrier charged less than USD2.<br>
><br>> When I got back I had about 1 hour of calls in both directions in<br>total and<br>> got a bill for $1200. I refused to pay.<br>><br>> My defence was that I had enquired what it would cost to roam before I<br>
left<br>> and did not get a specific answer apart from * not much and it depends<br>where<br>> you go.<br>><br>> When I mentioned the 5 countries I would travel through I was told it<br>> depends on the carriers. When I asked which carriers are the best to<br>
use I<br>> was told they wouldn’t vary much.<br>><br>> We settled for $200 .<br>><br>><br>><br>> Take Care and beware<br>><br>><br>><br>> Kevork Krozian<br>><br>> Edulists Creator Administrator<br>
><br>> <a href="http://www.edulists.com.au" target="_blank">www.edulists.com.au</a><br>><br>> tel: 0419 356 034<br>><br>><br>><br>> *From:* <a href="mailto:offtopic-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">offtopic-bounces@edulists.com.au</a> [mailto:<br>
> <a href="mailto:offtopic-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">offtopic-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>] *On Behalf Of *Roland Gesthuizen<br>> *Sent:* Saturday, 15 January 2011 6:41 PM<br>> *To:* <a href="mailto:offtopic@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">offtopic@edulists.com.au</a><br>
> *Subject:* [Offtopic] mobile roaming and travel sims<br>><br>><br>><br>> What is the best way to keep in touch with home with a mobile phone<br>whilst<br>> overseas without blowing up my bank account? Use my old smartphone,<br>
buy a<br>> travel SIM or just buy a cheap phone over the counter. Mobile data<br>would be<br>> nice on my laptop or iPad but I can just lurk around free wi-fi spots<br>if it<br>> is heaps cheaper (mobile access point?). Our family will be traveling<br>
in the<br>> USA for 4 weeks and around Europe for 8 weeks from Australia.<br>><br>> --<br>> Roland Gesthuizen - eLearning Coordinator - Keysborough Secondary<br>College<br>><br>> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can<br>
> change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has."<br>--Margaret<br>> Mead<br>><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> offtopic mailing list<br>> <a href="mailto:offtopic@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">offtopic@edulists.com.au</a><br>
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College<br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can<br>change<br>the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - eLearning Coordinator - Keysborough Secondary College<br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br>